Cape Town could see its first direct connection with Washington D.C starting November 2022,
if United Airlines secures approval for a proposed tri-weekly nonstop service between
the two points. If the flights are approved, this would be the first time that the two
cities have been linked with a non-stop service. In today's video, we are going to talk about “Big
News For Boeing 777X.” So without any further ado, Let's begin.
The carrier announced on May 18, that it had “filed an application with the U.S. Department
of Transportation (DOT) for three weekly nonstop flights between Washington, D.C. and Cape
Town, South Africa.” United has said it intends to use its Boeing 787-9 aircraft to
operate the flights between its hub at Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) and Cape
Town International Airport (CPT). They feature 48 of the airline’s Polaris
lie-flat business class seats, 21 Premium Plus seats, 39 Economy Plus seats, and 149
Economy seats. All seats are equipped with seatback, and on-demand entertainment – something
that passengers will no doubt appreciate on the 14+ hour flights. This long-overdue route
will benefit important government-to-government connections and increase communication and
commerce with a region that has strong cultural ties to South Africa.
United’s Washington Dulles hub is a gateway to the nation’s capital and elsewhere, operating
more than 230 daily flights to nearly 100 destinations around the world – including
more than 10 world capitals and a new service to Accra, Ghana, and Lagos, Nigeria. "From
creating new jobs to supporting key civic and aid organizations, United has taken tremendous
pride in growing our family and operations in South Africa, and across the African continent,"
said Patrick Quayle, United's Senior Vice President of International Network and Alliances.
"If awarded by the DOT, this historic nonstop service will significantly enhance travel
options for consumers, strengthen ties between our countries' legislative and diplomatic
epicenters, and benefit thriving travel and tourism industries serving our respective
countries." United launched a seasonal Newark-Cape Town route in 2019, and recently confirmed
plans to extend the service year-round, as part of what it called “the largest transatlantic
expansion in its history” this summer. United already operates nonstop service from
Newark International to Cape Town and Johannesburg. The Washington D.C. to Cape Town route is
the largest between the U.S. and South Africa without nonstop service. D.C. is the second
largest point in the U.S. for Cape Town demand and holds the fifth-largest South-African-born
population. United also maintains a close relationship
with the Mandela Foundation and BPESA (Business Processing Enabling South Africa) a not-for-profit
company that serves as the industry body and trade association for Global Business Services
in South Africa. United recently announced a collaboration with travel company Certified
Africa. According to data obtained by Aviacionline,
for the summer season, United will offer more than 44,000 seats per month between the United
States and Africa, where it will be the fifth-largest airline operator in this market. Singapore
Airlines Ltd (SIA) does not expect its growth plans to take a major hit because Boeing Co
pushed back the date for delivery of its first 777X planes, the carrier’s chief executive
said on May 19. Boeing in April delayed deliveries of 777X
jets to 2025, five years later than expected, prompting some plane lessors to suggest the
product’s future is in doubt. The US planemaker – which offers the model in two variants
– won’t resume production until 2023, leading to speculation some buyers may cancel
orders or switch to Airbus SE’s A350 jets. Before the delays, SIA had expected to receive
by the end of 2023 the first of the 31 777X planes it has on order, chief executive Goh
Choon Phong told analysts and media. “When the delay was foreseen you can imagine that
Boeing would have reached out to us for early conversations,” Goh Choon Phong said in
an interview with Bloomberg at the carrier’s new lounge at Changi Airport Tuesday (May
31). “Obviously, we expect Boeing to help us
in the interim to make sure that we continue to be able to deploy the right capacity.” Last
year, Singapore Airlines swapped some of its Boeing wide-body jetliner orders for the larger
777X, paring commitments for the 787-10 Dreamliners. After that change, Singapore Airlines’ total
orders stood at 31 for Boeing’s largest aircraft, a vote of confidence in the heir
to the manufacturer’s iconic 747 jumbos. Singapore signed an order for seven Airbus
A350F freighters to replace its Boeing 747-400Fs, becoming the launch customer for this variant.
While cargo demand is expected to experience near-term volatility because of the conflict
between Russia and Ukraine, as well as the effects of pandemic controls in China on the
global supply chain, cargo segment yields are likely to remain healthy due to the industry’s
continued capacity shortage on key trade routes. Fuel pricing remains a concern for the operator,
as they identified a year-on-year increase exceeding 50%, from $90.31 per barrel to almost
$150 at the beginning of May. Singapore is confident that it will be able to maintain
adequate cost discipline even as operations expand to accompany demand. “At the moment
I don’t think that our growth plan will be severely hampered,” he said.
“We do have some flexibility in terms of making up for any potential loss of capacity,”
he said, referring to the airline’s fleet plan. The comments came after the carrier
posted on May 18 a narrower annual loss of S$962 million (RM3.04 billion) for the 12
months ended March 31, including a second-half operating profit of S$10 million as border
curbs eased and passenger numbers rose. SIA said passenger capacity would average
about 61% of pre-pandemic levels in the first quarter and 67% in the second quarter of the
current financial year. Lufthansa Cargo will be the second customer for Boeing’s next-generation
freighter, the 777-8, after announcing on Monday the largest investment in company history
with an order for 10 large cargo jets that will increase capacity by two-thirds over
the next decade. And the airline added an uplift too for the
troubled 787 Dreamliner jet program, which hasn't delivered a plane in the past year.
Adding to its previous 777X launch order in 2013 for 20 of the passenger version of the
giant new plane. Deutsche Lufthansa’s cargo division said it will purchase three current-model
777 freighters to meet short- and medium-term demand, and seven 777-8s.
The German flag carrier also said it is extending leases on two existing Boeing 777 cargo jets,
which expire after 2024, for another seven years. The COVID-19 pandemic solidified how
important freighter aircraft are to the aviation industry. As Lufthansa Cargo's fleet develops
and expands, it wants new aircraft. The problem is that it can't get them fast enough.
The airline recently took a second-hand freighter from Emirates and didn't even have time to
repaint it before it entered service. One Airbus A321P2F is operated by Lufthansa Cityline
on behalf of Lufthansa Cargo. Rival Airbus has also sought to take advantage of the cargo
boom by launching a new freighter. The European manufacturer unveiled a new freighter
version of its A350 widebody in July 2021 and has gained orders from Air France-KLM,
Singapore Airlines (SIA1) (SINGY), and lessor ALC. The orders are worth a total of more
than $2.5 billion after standard discounts, according to market pricing data from aircraft
valuation firm Avitas. In January, Boeing launched the 777-8 freighter
with an order for up to 50 of the type from Qatar Airways. The aircraft will have a range
of 4,410 nautical miles (8,167km) and will be able to carry a payload of 118 tonnes.
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